Supervolcano: Singapore
by Tringapore
Summary: Most people know that Singapore is located far away from a tectonic plate and hence it is impossible for earthquakes and volcanoes to happen there. However, what if Singapore was a super volcano waiting to blow? This story will explore the scenario where Singapore is a super volcano and the events that will occur if it erupts.
1. Prologue

Supervolcano: Singapore

Before I start the story, here are a few useful definitions to take note of.

Supervolcano: A volcano that is capable of producing more than 1000 cubic tons of ejecta volume.

VEI 8 explosion: A volcanic explosion which ejects more than or equal to 1000 cubic kilometres oof magma

Pyroclastic flow: A fast moving current of hot gas that can travel at up to 700km/h and has temperatures capable of reaching 1000 degrees Celsius.

Caldera: A cauldron-like volcanic feature that occurs when a volcano collapses once it's magma chamber has been emptied.

Prologue

Deep inside of the earth, hot molten magma churns, waiting to surface and explode with devastating power and without warning. Singapore is a bustling port city with a population of about 5.5 million. It has grown to be one of the richest countries in the world within half a century. Most people across the world envy the prosperous island nation and its efficient government. However, deep below Singapore, a disaster is brewing. Hot molten rock is rising towards the surface, waiting to explode and unleash a disaster not seen since the colossal explosion of Lake Toba 75,000 years ago (Lake Toba is a volcano in the Indonesian island of Sumatra). The clock is ticking, and soon, the world and Southeast Asia as we know it, will change forever.

Chapter 1

Tom suddenly awoke from his dreams. He thought he felt a tremor. Could it be an earthquake? Impossible, he thought. Singapore wasn't located near any tectonic plate nor was it a volcano. Maybe it was an mrt (Mass rapid transit, a train service in Singapore) train. After all, he was living near to a depot where trains went into and out of it every now and then and made a vibration when they left. Tom dismissed the tremor and went back to sleep. He had school tomorrow and needed to sleep well.

"Good morning sleepy head," my best friend John greeted me.

"Morning, "I replied. I looked around the class. There seemed to be a lot of discussion happening among our class students. I asked John, "What's going on?"

"Dude, I didn't know you were so unobservant. Didn't' you feel the tremor last night?" John asked

I was shocked. So other people also felt the tremor? Did an earthquake happen in Indonesia? Thoughts filled my mind as I thought of what could've caused the tremor.

Suddenly, Mrs Yip, our geography teacher, came into the classroom.

"Good morning Mrs Yip," the class said in unison before taking a seat.

"Now as you all ay have heard or felt there was a tremor last night. Now it is unclear which part of Indonesia…..." Mrs Yip rambled on.

Ah yes Geography class. One of most interesting subjects I've learnt yet it also can be one of the most boring lessons.

Today we were supposed to learn about rock formation but instead, we started to relearn earthquakes again due to the tremor last night. Oh boy this is going to be a long lesson, Tom thought to himself.

In the middle of the class Tom was beginning to fall asleep. He learnt this topic already and felt bored. He was about to doze off when the table began shaking. The shaking grew more intense. "Earthquake!" someone exclaimed. Tom knew the protocol. He instinctively hid underneath the table to protect himself from any falling debris that could fall from the ceiling. Fortunately, the quake was not strong and lasted only a few seconds. Tom emerged out of his table and heaved a sigh of relief. The rest of the class did. That was very strange, Tom thought. It was the second tremor of the day. Tom knew something was amiss. But he didn't know what. He was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what.

Chapter 2

At the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS. It researches on earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, something like the USGS), Professor David Ong was worried. He was studying the tremor that struck yesterday. He checked the location and depth. The computer gathered the data. What he saw shocked him. The computer showed: Magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck on Sunday, 21st September 2015. Location, 15km beneath Singapore near Macritchie reservoir. Impossible! Singapore wasn't located anywhere close to a tectonic plate. He double checked the data. The data showed the same thing. He called his colleague Sam. "Sam, we have a problem."

Doctor Sam Teo quickened his footsteps. He heard what Professor David said and was rushing to the earthquake research centre. When he reached, he quickly checked the computer data. He was also shocked. Thoughts filled his mind as to what could've caused the tremor. He could think of nothing. Suddenly he thought of Yellowstone, a super volcano located in the United States. He shrugged of the thought. That couldn't be happening in Singapore. There was no history of earthquakes or volcanoes in Singapore. The only earthquakes that could be felt was from Indonesia. Sam said to David, "What do you think could've caused the earthquake?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe from construction of underground mrt tunnels that could've disturbed the ground. But even so the earthquake cannot be so big," David replied.

"We've got to find out what is happening. The news will most probably be reporting of this incident soon and when that happens we must give the public and answer," David told Sam.

"Gotcha," Sam replied. Both of them started working to find out what caused the tremor by checking instruments and data. However, by the time they had finished sifting through the data that they had, they still had no clue. They were perplexed and were left scratching their heads.

Suddenly, the alarm started screeching and they felt the ground shaking. They ducked under the table, waiting for the tremor to stop. After about 10 seconds, everything was over. They checked the seismometer and the computer. The computer showed worrying data. "WARNING, 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday, 22nd September at 0910 hours. Depth, 20km beneath Singapore. Location, Kent Ridge Park. They were stunned. They knew immediately that this wasn't good. Something was amiss, and that something was big. They needed to get to the bottom of this, fast.

Chapter 3

At the Singapore Press Holdings building (SPH, the main newspaper agency in Singapore), a flurry of activity was happening. Writers and editors were frantically pacing about trying to get feeds to the tremor incident which was felt nationwide in the early morning. Jessica Wong, an editor who was aiming to be a full-fledged journalist someday, walked into the office. She was in all smiles as she went to write her article. She had gotten a news feed from a man who felt the tremor and was busy writing when computer began moving. She held onto the computer. Jessica thought, another earthquake? About 10 seconds later, the shaking stopped. All her colleagues were in somewhat shock. However, after a while, everybody came to their senses and returned to their work. Her boss came up to her.

"Go to the EOS and talk to Professor David Ong. He appears to have some leads on this incident," her boss said.

Jessica obeyed and went to the EOS. She had some questions of her own as well.

Chapter 4

Jessica arrived the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and headed to the EOS office. There she asked to meet Professor David Ong, but was told that he was busy. Jessica couldn't wait. She asked for his office number but was told to wait. Jessica became impatient and demanded to see the Professor. She flashed her credentials at the staff. The staff person sighed at called Professor David Ong. After a while she put down the phone and told Jessica to take the lift to the 4th floor. Jessica thanked the staff and proceeded. When she reached the 4th floor, she looked at the staff directory to look for Professor Ong. Once she found it, she went straight to his office. She knocked at the door. "Come in," a voice said. Jessica opened the door and found Professor Ong sitting at his desk staring at his computer. She sat down and immediately started to ask questions.

"Professor Ong, what could've caused the 2 tremors that we felt this morning?" Jessica asked.

"Well, we are not sure for now. You see, earthquakes are very uncommon in Singapore. Most of them are just tremors felt from an earthquake in Indonesia, but to see 2 earthquakes in 1 day that occurred in Singapore is simply baffling. Even we are at a loss as to what caused it," Professor Ong explained.

Jessica nodded as Professor Ong went on. Just as they were done talking, Professor Ong's coffee started to sway. It was another tremor! Professor Ong didn't hesitate, he rushed to the earthquake research centre. Jessica followed. This time the quake lasted longer. When the both of them reached the room, Sam was there.

"Magnitude 4.8 David," Sam said.

Professor Ong went to see the data as the alarm continued wailing. The computer screen showed: WARNING: Magnitude 4.8 struck on Monday, 22nd September at 1210 hours. Depth, 4km beneath Singapore. Location: Bishan mrt depot. Both Professor Ong and Sam were in shock. This was the 3rd sizable earthquake in a day. Throughout the day there had been hundreds of small earthquakes located throughout the island. Most of them were magnitudes 1 and 2 and a few magnitude 3s. Those earthquakes couldn't be felt as they were too small. But 3 large earthquakes (Magnitude 4 and above would be considered large to Singapore as the country rarely experiences earthquakes) in a day, it was mind blowing.

"Go back to SPH," Professor Ong told Jessica. "We have important work to do and this concerns the very safety of Singapore. We do not want to be disturbed."

"Ok," Jessica said rather grudgingly. She had more questions to ask, and the latest tremor further added fuel to her desire to ask questions. She left the building and went back to report to her boss.

Chapter 5

Feng Ting was walking along the Kallang river (it has become a canal now due to construction of barriers to prevent overflowing) She looked at the canal. The water was calm and slow moving. Now's my chance, she thought. She crossed the barrier and walked down the steps that lead to the canal. She wanted to catch fishes which were plentiful in the canal, which was illegal, but she wanted to feed her cat.

She took out her shoes and carefully stepped into the water. The water wasn't deep. It barely reached her feet. Net in hand, she scanned the water for any fishes that was swimming. She spotted a school of fish swimming near a current. They were big. She smiled to herself. Now her cat could have a nice meal. She silently made her way to the fishes, trying not to make a splash that could alert the fishes of her presence. She got closer and closer before she was finally close enough to catch them.

Suddenly, Feng Ting felt the ground shaking. She lost her balance and fell onto the water as the fishes swam away as fast as they could. Feng Ting tried to regain her balance as she stood up. The ground was still shaking. A crack was appearing in the ground! Out of curiosity she inched closer and closer wondering what could be in the crack. As the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat. All of a sudden a gush of boiling hot water burst out of the ground and into the sky (Similar to water that comes out from a geyser). Unfortunately, it also splashed onto Feng Ting's face. She screamed in agony. The pain was so intense. She fell onto the ground in pain as boiling hot water continued to gush out of the crack and onto her body.

A passer-by saw what was happening and looked on in amazement and horror as he saw a girl being scalded by the water. He whipped out his phone and called 995 for the ambulance. The water continued gushing out of the crack for another minute or so before it stopped. The passer-by immediately rushed down to check on Feng Ting. She was still cocooned up, grimacing in pain. He tried to see the extent of her injuries. To his alarm, her face was scalded so badly that she couldn't be recognized anymore. She was steaming from head to toe due to the amount of boiling hot water that fell onto her. Sirens wailed in the distance and the ambulance arrived shortly to rush her to the hospital for treatment.

Chapter 6

Tom was watching the news that night. He was joined by his sister Jennifer and his parents. He loved and admired his sister. His sister was a university student studying Geography with hopes to be a geologist at the USGS someday. That was one reason why he loved geography. He was watching the news when it was interrupted.

"We interrupt the current program to give you breaking news. A 15-year-old girl was severely injured this afternoon after hot water apparently shot out of the ground from a crack after an earthquake .The incident occurred at 1210 near the Bishan mrt depot. An eyewitness said that he saw the girl trying to catch fishes when suddenly the ground shook and a crack appeared in the ground. He went on to further say that after the tremor hot water shot out of the crack into the sky, pouring itself on the girl. Ambulance arrived shortly to take the girl to the hospital for treatment. She is said to be in critical condition and is in the ICU (Intensive care unit). Police are investigating the cause of the source of the water. Stay tuned for more breaking news."

Tom and his family were shocked. The incident occurred close to where they lived. Tom immediately went onto his labtop to read up more about the incident. He was joined by his sister. Apparently the girl was catching fishes which was an illegal act according to the law. Tom read on. The news article further stated that the water shot up from the crack reached a height of 30 metres and lasted for about 30-40 seconds. Poor girl, Tom and his sister thought.

"Tom, you do know this incident is connected to the strange events that happened today right?" His sister asked.

"Of course I do. And I have a bad feeling about this," Tom replied.

The two siblings knew that what was going to happen during the next few days would not be good. They gulped. All they could hope for was for this event to end soon. However, their wish would not be granted.

Chapter 7

Professor David Ong was attending an emergency meeting held by the Prime Minister(PM) Mr Peter Loh. All the important ministers and scientists were discussing about the recent strange events. They were joined shortly by the Malaysian Prime Minster. PM Loh started to speak. "Dear ministers and scientists, you may have felt and heard about the recent abnomalies that are happening around the island. Yesterday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck in Bishan and is the largest earthquake in record in Singapore. This, together with a geyser like occurrence which left a girl in the ICU, has caused widespread panic among the population. Our counterparts in Malaysia said those in Johor also felt the earthquake. What we need now are answers. Professor Ong, do you have an answer to this?"

"With all due respects Prime minister, we have no answer as to the abnormalies. It's just too short a duration to get answers. We need more time to find out what exactly is happening," Professor Ong replied.

"Ok. What resources and how much time do you need to get answers?" PM Loh asked

"Firstly Prime minister, we need more seismographs and experts who have experience in these kind of events. In fact, we need geologists from the USGS to assist us," Professor Ong replied.

"Fine then. I'll get the USGS to send some of their geologists here. And you can also work with Malaysian geologists too. As for the seismometers and seismographs, we'll get them to you as soon as possible," PM Loh answered.

Chapter 8

Back at the EOS, Professor David Ong went to the earthquake research centre. He asked Sam," any update?"

"Well, if you say bad news yes. Over the past 4 hours there have been 40 earthquakes of varying magnitudes. Mainly magnitudes 1 and 2 but a few magnitude 3s," Sam replied.

"And the locations?" Professor Ong asked.

"Mainly beneath Macritchie and Pierce reservoirs. About 20 earthquakes there. All magnitude 1s and 2s. 2 beneath Pulau Ubin, magnitude 2.6 and 2.3, 4 at the place where the geyser appeared yesterday, 12 at the Seletar reservoirs, 2 3.2s there, and 2 magnitude 2s at Bedok reservoir," Sam elaborated.

"This is not good. Most of the earthquakes are beneath reservoirs. That raises the possibility that magma is rising towards the surface," Professor Ong said in a serious tone.

"Professor you aren't seriously thinking that Singapore is a volcano are you?" Sam asked bewildered.

"But the recent events do raise eyebrows," Professor Ong replied.

"But Professor…," Sam was talking when the ground shook. Both of them lost their balance and fell as the alarm went off.

Both of them immediately checked the seismograph and the computer. The seismograph recorded another 4.8 magnitude earthquake while the computer alarm sounded. WARNING: 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck on November 23rd 2015. Location: 10km beneath Macritchie reservoir. Professor Ong and Sam looked at each other. The previous 4.8 magnitude earthquake caused a person's death. They wondered what damage it would cause this time.

Chapter 9

Sean was with his family at Macritchie reservoir for canoeing. His kids had wanted to canoe for a long time coming but Sean was busy with his work. Now that he could take leave off to spend time with his family, he thought this would be the best time to bring his kids canoeing.

"Come on kids, you have to hurry in order to canoe," Sean said to his children

"Coming daddy," his son Alex said.

Sean reached the canoe renting place with his children and rented a 3-seater canoe. He could not wait to paddle around the reservoir with his children and show them the rich wildlife that inhabited the reservoir.

"Come on daddy," his daughter Hui Wen said.

Sean put the canoe on the water and helped his son and daughter into the canoe. He started paddling across the reservoir. He pointed at the animals and trees that lined around the coast of the reservoir.

Suddenly, the water around him started to ripple. Another earthquake, he thought. He didn't think much of it as he had gotten used to the shaking. However, he was just about to paddle when the water around him started to bubble. He was curious and stopped to take a look. The bubbles were getting bigger and within a split second, he and his children were thrown up nearly 60 feet into the air by a gush of boiling water. Water sprayed all over them. The three of them crashed hard on the water. His son and daughter were killed instantly by the crash. Sean lost consciousness and drowned.

People who were at the café rushed out to see the spectacular geyser that erupted from the water after the earthquake. However, all of them were in shock when they saw three bodies in the sky.

"Someone call 995," a passer-by said.

People frantically called 995 as they watched the family of three crash hard into the water. Everyone gasped. A few people wanted to go into the water to save the family of three but were stopped by other people who thought it to be too dangerous due to the boiling water that covered the area.

The ambulance soon arrived. Divers were called in to try to save the family of three. However, after the divers retrieved the bodies, the bodies were pronounced as dead.

Chapter 10

USGS Geologist Robby Hugh of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) and Steve Richardson of the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) arrived at Changi International Airport. They brought along a special guest from the Japan Metrological Agency. Her name was Yui Hisagawa. She specialised in studying earthquakes and interpreting them. The 3 of them were getting their luggage and equipment when they felt a tremor. It shook the ground but was over within about 15 seconds. The 3 of them knew this wasn't good so they quickly got all their belongings and equipment and called a taxi to go to the EOS where they were needed.

Nearly an hour later, they finally arrived at the EOS. They immediately asked for directions to the earthquake research centre. There they met Professor David Ong and his colleague Sam Wong. After a brief introduction the 5 of them got to work setting up the equipment and monitoring the seismograph.

For about 4 hours nothing happened. Professor David Ong and Sam were baffled. Normally there'd be at least 4-5 small earthquakes by now. This just did not make sense. Suddenly, the computer lit up and the alarm sounded. Earthquake instruments measured a magnitude 4.9. The computer showed: WARNING: Magnitude 4.9 struck on November 26th 2015. Location and depth: 5.5km beneath Resorts World Sentosa. Another earthquake struck. This time it measured a magnitude 3.5 and it struck Lower Pierce reservoir. A 3rd earthquake struck. It measured 4.5 and struck Upper Pierce reservoir. All three earthquakes struck within seconds from each other. Professor Ong and Sam were shocked while the USGS and Japanese geologists were surprised.

"Damm. What have we been missing out here?" Geologist Robby asked.

"Nothing much other than the few thousand earthquakes that have struck now," Sam said jokingly.

"This is a worrying sign. We must set up ground movement detectors all around the island before it's too late," Geologist Steve said

"Why not the 3 of you guys go while me and Sam will stay here and continue monitoring the situation?" Geologist Yui asked.

"Great idea. In that case, let's start going," Steve said.

Chapter 11

Professor David Ong together with the USGS geologists reached Upper Pierce reservoir. The park was almost empty apart from a few joggers. As they approached the reservoir, they noticed bubbles rising to the surface. They also noticed a dead tree that was close to the water.

"That is definitely a sign of carbon dioxide poisoning," Geologist Robby said.

Meanwhile, Geologist Steve approached the water and gathered a few drops of water for sampling. He also placed down earthquake and ground sensors: whether the ground was rising or not. After he had finished, the three of them went to Lower Pierce reservoir. The scene there was different than at Upper Pierce. There were more people walking and fishing, oblivious to the threat that lay beneath their feet.

The 3 of them ignored the people and went to do their work. They placed earthquake and ground sensors at various locations around the park. They made sure they had activated the devices before heading back to the EOS. It was at that moment when the ground shook.

The shaking lasted for about 20 seconds and measured a 4.4 magnitude. Immediately after that, the water in the reservoir started to bubble vigorously. Suddenly, a gush of water shot up 100 feet into the air. Everyone that saw the spectacle were amazed. However, it was boiling water that was shooting up and it splashed onto the people who were fishing nearby. Screams were heard as people groaned in agony while they were being scalded by the water. It was chaos everywhere as people ran away from the reservoir as fast as they could. Another fountain of water erupted. Then another. And another. Soon there were 7 fountains of boiling water shooting 100 feet into the air.

"This is not good. We need to hurry and set up the equipment," Robby said. The 3 of them packed their stuff into their bags and hurried off to other reservoirs.

Chapter 12

After 4 gruelling hours of placing seismic and ground movement detection equipment, Professor Ong, Geologist Robby and Steve were exhausted. They had felt a few tremors throughout last few hours and hoped the equipment that they had placed all around the island could help better monitor and detect earthquakes and ground movement. All around the room alarm panels were beeping at the onset of new tremors. They took note of the magnitude. So far, only magnitude 1-3s were occurring which was a good thing. Any tremor above magnitude 4 was a cause for concern as they could be felt by people.

Suddenly, a different sounding alarm went off. It was the ground movement detector. It showed that there was a rise in the ground level around Macritchie and the Pierce reservoirs. The ground had risen by 10mm. Even though it was not a significant rise, it was a cause for grave concern. This showed that magma was slowly rising to the surface.

"We've got to warn the people about this," Sam said.

"I think a better idea would be to tell the PM and hold a discussion meeting about our next course of action. We don't want to cause panic across the island," Professor Ong replied.

"You guys tell the PM and hold the meeting. Robby will join you as an advisor. Meanwhile Yui and I will stay here and monitor the situation," Steve said.

"Ok. We'll do that. Let us know immediately if anything serious happens," Professor Ong replied in a serious tone.

Chapter 13

Parliament was abuzz as ministers discussed the seismic matter among themselves. PM Loh motioned Parliament to be seated and began to speak.

"I'd like to bring all your attention to Professor David Ong who will be speaking about the strange events that are happening recently."

Professor Ong began telling Parliament about the increasing seismic activity that was occurring and the ground uplifting that was happening at Macritchie reservoir. He told them of the significance of the events and that an evacuation of Singapore may be needed if there was concrete evidence of an upcoming eruption. That was when Geologist Robby came and interrupted.

"If, let's say if, there is concrete evidence that an eruption is coming, we not only need to evacuate Singapore, we may need to evacuate places such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Southern Thailand and maybe even Southern Philippines. In a worst case scenario, we may have to evacuate nearly three-quarters of Southeast Asia."

"How do you define a worst case scenario?" A minster asked.

"Well, since we do not have a history of eruptions in Singapore, we can't really define exactly what a worst case scenario is. But what we can do is compare Singapore with Yellowstone Supervolcano. During the last eruption at Yellowstone, pyroclastic flows extended through Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. However, what we can do to predict a worst case scenario at Singapore is that we scan the whole island using new technology which measures how big a volcano's magma chamber is. That was we can measure the magma chamber beneath Singapore and come up with a possible worst case scenario," Geologist Robby replied.

"Send the new technology you have to Singapore at once!" PM Loh said.

Chapter 15

The sounds of a plane engine could be heard as a cargo plane landed at Changi International Airport. In it carried the most advanced geologic and seismic equipment that the USGS had. The plane taxied to the gate and unloaded its cargo. The cargo was immediately sent to the EOS for immediate set-up.

At the EOS, Geologist Steve immediately began churning data from the equipment. He dispatched Geologist Yui Hisagawa, Sam and Robby to place the sensors all across the island for monitoring in case anything happened.

The task was arduous. Going around the whole entire island and setting up the sensors took the whole day. But at the end of the day, it was worth the hassle. The sensors began transmitting data back to the main database at the EOS. For the first time the 5 geologists could have a first-hand look at how big the magma chamber beneath Singapore was. What they saw drained the blood from their faces, especially for Professor Ong and Sam. The data showed that the magma chamber beneath Singapore was an astounding 70km from East to West and 40km from North to South. In essence, it covered the whole island and the southern part of Malaysia, i.e Johor. It was also 15km deep, deeper than Yellowstone Supervolcano. The data also depicted magma rising to the surface, and fast! It predicted an eruption within 40 days with the current amount of activity.

Just then, 3 earthquakes struck. The first measured a 4.2 at Kent Ridge Park. The second measured a 3.5 at Seletar reservoir. The third measured 4.8 at Changi International Airport. All three earthquakes were relatively shallow ones, ranging from 5-30km beneath the surface. The ground detection monitor sounded an alarm. The ground was rising at an alarming rate of 5cm a day at the Central Catchment Reserve (where the major reservoirs and nature reserves were), and 2cm for the rest of the island. They now had concrete evidence of an imminent eruption. It was time to start evacuating. NOW!

Chapter 16

Tom was at home, surfing the net for news about the earthquakes and "geysers" that have been plaguing Singapore for a while now. It had been 2 months since the strange occurrences started, and it showed no sign of slowing down or dying off. There were many articles circulating across the net about the occurrences, most of them being first-hand experiences and thoughts about the occurrences. However, he came across an article by a scientist from the USGS talking about Singapore. He discussed about the reasons that Singapore was experiencing the strange occurrences and came to the conclusion that Singapore IS a Supervolcano and it is going to erupt soon.

Tom started to panic. "Impossible. No this can't be," he said. He could not bring himself to the conclusion that his country of over 5 million people was about to erupt with devastating consequences. There has to be a mistake, Tom thought to himself. Surely Singapore can't be a volcano? What would this mean if say Singapore was a Supervolcano? If there was an evacuation of the island, where could people go to? And what would happen to the neighbouring countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand? Would they also be affected by the eruption? Thoughts flooded Tom's head as he tried to search for answers. He took a look at the geologist's name. Doctor Robby Hugh of the USGS. And he said that he was reporting from Singapore. Tom did not hesitate. He ran out of his house to look for this geologist at once, ignoring his sister's shouts at him.

Chapter 17

Tom approached the EOS nervously. He had no idea what he was going to say to the receptionist at the desk to allow him to see Dr Robby Hugh of the USGS. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Here we go, he thought. He walked nervously through the automatic door. He stopped at the receptionist and told her what he was here for. The receptionist looked at him as though he was crazy and said that all visits to the geologists working there needed to have appointments before people could see them. Tom pleaded to the receptionist but to no avail. Just as he was about to walk away, Dr Robby Hugh walked through the door with Sam, back from a routine check of sensors and detectors across the island.

"What's all the commotion here Laura? And what is this boy doing here?" Sam asked.

"I'm here to meet Dr Robby Hugh. I've got some questions to ask him," Tom said.

"Is that so? Fine then come on up and we can have a talk the office," Dr Robby said to Tom with a smile.

The three of them went up to Dr Robby's temporary office. Dr Robby poured some coffee for the three of them and started talking.

"So then, what does a young man like you want to ask me?" Dr Robby asked jokingly.

"I want to clarify on an article which you wrote recently," Tom said.

Dr Robby's smile disappeared, His expression became more serious. He looked at Sam and nodded. It was time to tell the public about this.

"What's your name young man?" Dr Robby asked.

"Tom sir," Tom replied

"Well then Tom, what you read in the article is true. Everything is true. Singapore IS going to erupt, and it is going to erupt soon," Dr Robby explained.

"Impossible. We're not located near any fault lines or tectonic plates," Tom protested.

"Come. Let me show you something son," Dr Robby said in a gentle yet serious tone.

He and Sam brought Tom to the earthquake research centre where Geologist Steve, Yui and Professor Ong were currently monitoring the situation. Tom saw all the seismograms and complicated data on the computer and his head whirled in confusion.

"Guys, this is Tom. He is a student and is interested in the current situation. Hence I brought him here to let him have a look at what's happening now," Dr Robby introduced Tom to his colleagues. He then proceeded to show Tom all the monitors, computers and sensors.

"My boy, if you're wondering what is going on, this is what is going on," Dr Robby told Tom as Tom looked around the room baffled by all the high-tech equipment.

Professor Ong stood up and went to Tom. He said in a serious tone," Tom, what you're looking at right now is very important. As you can see, there has been thousands of earthquakes that have struck Singapore over the past month or so. Plus, there has recently been uplift of the ground around the reservoirs and some parts of the island. Do you know what this means?"

"Yes. Singapore is going to erupt isn't it?" Tom asked.

"Unfortunately my boy, yes. Singapore is going to erupt. We don't know when, but we know that there's not much time left before she erupts. Maybe at best a month or so? Worse case is only a few weeks. A few weeks to evacuate more than a quarter of a billion people in South-East Asia," Professor Ong said with a sigh.

"What can I do then?" Tom asked.

"Tell your friends and family. Tell as many people as you can as to what is going to happen. Warn them that they have to evacuate now. YOU have to evacuate now Tom," Professor Ong warned.

"But what about you?" Tom asked again.

"We'll stay here until the eruption or just before the eruption to monitor the progress of events. Now go and warn anyone that you know," Dr Robby replied.

Tom looked around the room for a few more seconds. Then, he left the room and hurried back to his home.

Chapter 18

Tom arrived back at his home at night. His parents and sister were watching the tv. When his mother saw him, she asked, "Tom, where have you been? I couldn't contact you."

"Sorry mum, something cropped up which I had to attend to," Tom replied

"Anyways, Tom, come sit with us. The news is showing a special program now," his father said.

The tv was showing a documentary of Yellowstone volcano. It talked about the signs of an eruption and what would occur if an eruption happened. The effects will be devastating. Nearly two-thirds of the United States would be deemed to be uninhabitable to live in and temperatures will plummet about 20 degrees Celsius worldwide. The documentary ended and the news anchor started to speak.

"As the documentary has shown, a Supervolcano eruption will devastate the world in ways cannot imagined. Unfortunately, although the Yellowstone Supervolcano is in no imminent danger of erupting, another Supervolcano is waiting to blow just half a world away, down here in Singapore. Experts and ASEAN leaders have predicted what might happen if Singapore were to erupt. And the effects will be devastating beyond measure.

Experts and ASEAN leaders have predicted that in a worst case scenario, the volcano will erupt and wipe off Singapore from the map. Not just that, the pyroclastic flow from the eruption may reach as far as Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, possibly killing more than a quarter of a billion people, and many more injured. Hospitals will not be able to cope with the number of injured as thousands pour into hospitals, burnt by the pyroclastic flows or suffocated by choking ash produced. Millions more will be without electricity and may not have food, water and shelter in the immediate aftermath of this colossus disaster, the worst disaster in human history.

Hence, the governments of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines have ordered all their citizens to begin immediate evacuation from the danger zone. This danger zone includes the whole island and islands of Singapore, the whole of Malaysia which includes Sabah and Sarawak, everything west of Jakarta plus the Kalimantan region, Indonesia, southern and central Thailand till Bangkok, and the southern Philippine islands of Minanao. The yellow zone will include Northern Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, East Timor and the Philippine islands of Leyte. People living in those areas are advised to either evacuate or stockpile at least 10 days' worth of food and water.


	2. Chapter 1

Tom suddenly awoke from his dreams. He thought he felt a tremor. Could it be an earthquake? Impossible, he thought. Singapore wasn't located near any tectonic plate nor was it a volcano. Maybe it was an mrt (Mass rapid transit, a train service in Singapore) train. After all, he was living near to a depot where trains went into and out of it every now and then and made a vibration when they left. Tom dismissed the tremor and went back to sleep. He had school tomorrow and needed to sleep well.

"Good morning sleepy head," my best friend John greeted me.

"Morning, "I replied. I looked around the class. There seemed to be a lot of discussion happening among our class students. I asked John, "What's going on?"

"Dude, I didn't know you were so unobservant. Didn't' you feel the tremor last night?" John asked

I was shocked. So other people also felt the tremor? Did an earthquake happen in Indonesia? Thoughts filled my mind as I thought of what could've caused the tremor.

Suddenly, Mrs Yip, our geography teacher, came into the classroom.

"Good morning Mrs Yip," the class said in unison before taking a seat.

"Now as you all ay have heard or felt there was a tremor last night. Now it is unclear which part of Indonesia…..." Mrs Yip rambled on.

Ah yes Geography class. One of most interesting subjects I've learnt yet it also can be one of the most boring lessons.

Today we were supposed to learn about rock formation but instead, we started to relearn earthquakes again due to the tremor last night. Oh boy this is going to be a long lesson, Tom thought to himself.

In the middle of the class Tom was beginning to fall asleep. He learnt this topic already and felt bored. He was about to doze off when the table began shaking. The shaking grew more intense. "Earthquake!" someone exclaimed. Tom knew the protocol. He instinctively hid underneath the table to protect himself from any falling debris that could fall from the ceiling. Fortunately, the quake was not strong and lasted only a few seconds. Tom emerged out of his table and heaved a sigh of relief. The rest of the class did. That was very strange, Tom thought. It was the second tremor of the day. Tom knew something was amiss. But he didn't know what. He was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what.


	3. Chapter 2

At the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS. It researches on earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, something like the USGS), Professor David Ong was worried. He was studying the tremor that struck yesterday. He checked the location and depth. The computer gathered the data. What he saw shocked him. The computer showed: Magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck on Sunday, 21st November 2015. Location, 15km beneath Singapore near Macritchie reservoir. Impossible! Singapore wasn't located anywhere close to a tectonic plate. He double checked the data. The data showed the same thing. He called his colleague Sam. "Sam, we have a problem."

Doctor Sam Wong quickened his footsteps. He heard what Professor David said and was rushing to the earthquake research room. When he reached, he quickly checked the computer data. He was also shocked. Thoughts filled his mind as to what could've caused the tremor. He could think of nothing. Suddenly he thought of Yellowstone, a super volcano located in the United States. He shrugged of the thought. That couldn't be happening in Singapore. There was no history of earthquakes or volcanoes in Singapore. The only earthquakes that could be felt was from Indonesia. Sam said to David, "What do you think could've caused the earthquake?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe from construction of underground mrt tunnels that could've disturbed the ground. But even so the earthquake cannot be so big," David replied.

"We've got to find out what is happening. The news will most probably be reporting of this incident soon and when that happens we must give the public and answer," David told Sam.

"Gotcha," Sam replied. Both of them started working to find out what caused the tremor by checking instruments and data. However, by the time they had finished sifting through the data that they had, they still had no clue. They were perplexed and were left scratching their heads.

Suddenly, the alarm started screeching and they felt the ground shaking. They ducked under the table, waiting for the tremor to stop. After about 10 seconds, everything was over. They checked the seismometer and the computer. The computer showed worrying data. "WARNING, 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday, 22nd November at 0910 hours, depth, 20km beneath Singapore. Location, Kent ridge park. They were stunned. They knew immediately that this wasn't good. Something was amiss, and that something was big. They needed to get to the bottom of this, fast.


	4. Chapter 3

At the Singapore Press Holdings building (SPH, the main newspaper agency in Singapore), a flurry of activity was happening. Writers and editors were frantically pacing about trying to get feeds to the tremor incident which was felt nationwide in the early morning. Jessica Wong, an editor who was aiming to be a full-fledged journalist someday, walked into the office. She was in all smiles as she went to write her article. She had gotten a news feed from a man who felt the tremor and was busy writing when computer began moving. She held onto the computer. Jessica thought, another earthquake? About 10 seconds later, the shaking stopped. All her colleagues were in somewhat shock. However, after a while, everybody came to their senses and returned to their work. Her boss came up to her.

"Go to the EOS and talk to Professor David Ong. He appears to have some leads on this incident," her boss said.

Jessica obeyed and went to the EOS. She had some questions of her own as well.


	5. Chapter 4

Jessica arrived the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and headed to the EOS office. There she asked to meet Professor David Ong, but was told that he was busy. Jessica couldn't wait. She asked for his office number but was told to wait. Jessica became impatient and demanded to see the Professor. She flashed her credentials at the staff. The staff person sighed at called Professor David Ong. After a while she put down the phone and told Jessica to take the lift to the 4th floor. Jessica thanked the staff and proceeded. When she reached the 4th floor, she looked at the staff directory to look for Professor Ong. Once she found it, she went straight to his office. She knocked at the door. "Come in," a voice said. Jessica opened the door and found Professor Ong sitting at his desk staring at his computer. She sat down and immediately started to ask questions.

"Professor Ong, what could've caused the 2 tremors that we felt this morning?" Jessica asked.

"Well, we are not sure for now. You see, earthquakes are very uncommon in Singapore. Most of them are just tremors felt from an earthquake in Indonesia, but to see 2 earthquakes in 1 day that occurred in Singapore is simply baffling. Even we are at a loss as to what caused it," Professor Ong explained.

Jessica nodded as Professor Ong went on. Just as they were done talking, Professor Ong's coffee started to sway. It was another tremor! Professor Ong didn't hesitate, he rushed to the earthquake research room. Jessica followed. This time the quake lasted longer. When the both of them reached the room, Sam was there.

"Magnitude 4.8 David," Sam said.

Professor Ong went to see the data as the alarm continued wailing. The computer screen showed: WARNING: Magnitude 4.8 struck on Monday, 22nd September at 1210 hours. Depth, 4km beneath Singapore. Location: Bishan mrt depot. Both Professor Ong and Sam were in shock. This was the 3rd sizable earthquake in a day. Throughout the day there had been hundreds of small earthquakes located throughout the island. Most of them were magnitudes 1 and 2 and a few magnitude 3s. Those earthquakes couldn't be felt as they were too small. But 3 large earthquakes (Magnitude 4 and above would be considered large to Singapore as the country rarely experiences earthquakes) in a day, it was mind blowing.

"Go back to SPH," Professor Ong told Jessica. "We have important work to do and this concerns the very safety of Singapore. We do not want to be disturbed."

"Ok," Jessica said rather grudgingly. She had more questions to ask, and the latest tremor further added fuel to her desire to ask questions. She left the building and went back to report to her boss.


	6. Chapter 5

Jessica arrived the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and headed to the EOS office. There she asked to meet Professor David Ong, but was told that he was busy. Jessica couldn't wait. She asked for his office number but was told to wait. Jessica became impatient and demanded to see the Professor. She flashed her credentials at the staff. The staff person sighed and called Professor David Ong. After a while she put down the phone and told Jessica to take the lift to the 4th floor. Jessica thanked the staff and proceeded. When she reached the 4th floor, she looked at the staff directory to look for Professor Ong. Once she found it, she went straight to his office. She knocked at the door. "Come in," a voice said. Jessica opened the door and found Professor Ong sitting at his desk staring at his computer. She sat down and immediately started to ask questions.

"Professor Ong, what could've caused the 2 tremors that we felt this morning?" Jessica asked.

"Well, we are not sure for now. You see, earthquakes are very uncommon in Singapore. Most of them are just tremors felt from an earthquake in Indonesia, but to see 2 earthquakes in 1 day that occurred in Singapore is simply baffling. Even we are at a loss as to what caused it," Professor Ong explained.

Jessica nodded as Professor Ong went on. Just as they were done talking, Professor Ong's coffee started to sway. It was another tremor! Professor Ong didn't hesitate, he rushed to the earthquake research room. Jessica followed. This time the quake lasted longer. When the both of them reached the room, Sam was there.

"Magnitude 4.8 David," Sam said.

Professor Ong went to see the data as the alarm continued wailing. The computer screen showed: WARNING: Magnitude 4.8 struck on Monday, 22nd September at 1210 hours. Depth, 4km beneath Singapore. Location: Bishan mrt depot. Both Professor Ong and Sam were in shock. This was the 3rd sizable earthquake in a day. Throughout the day there had been hundreds of small earthquakes located throughout the island. Most of them were magnitudes 1 and 2 and a few magnitude 3s. Those earthquakes couldn't be felt as they were too small. But 3 large earthquakes (Magnitude 4 and above would be considered large to Singapore as the country rarely experiences earthquakes) in a day, it was mind blowing.

"Go back to SPH," Professor Ong told Jessica. "We have important work to do and this concerns the very safety of Singapore. We do not want to be disturbed."

"Ok," Jessica said rather grudgingly. She had more questions to ask, and the latest tremor further added fuel to her desire to ask questions. She left the building and went back to report to her boss.


	7. Chapter 6

Tom was watching the news that night. He was joined by his sister Jennifer and his parents. He loved and admired his sister. His sister was a university student studying Geography with hopes to be a geologist at the USGS someday. That was one reason why he loved geography. He was watching the news when it was interrupted.

"We interrupt the current program to give you breaking news. A 15-year-old girl was severely injured this afternoon after hot water apparently shot out of the ground from a crack after an earthquake .The incident occurred at 1210 near the Bishan mrt depot. An eyewitness said that he saw the girl trying to catch fishes when suddenly the ground shook and a crack appeared in the ground. He went on to further say that after the tremor hot water shot out of the crack into the sky, pouring itself on the girl. Ambulance arrived shortly to take the girl to the hospital for treatment. She is said to be in critical condition and is in the ICU (Intensive care unit). Police are investigating the cause of the source of the water. Stay tuned for more breaking news."

Tom and his family were shocked. The incident occurred close to where they lived. Tom immediately went onto his labtop to read up more about the incident. He was joined by his sister. Apparently the girl was catching fishes which was an illegal act according to the law. Tom read on. The news article further stated that the water shot up from the crack reached a height of 30 metres and lasted for about 30-40 seconds. Poor girl, Tom and his sister thought.

"Tom, you do know this incident is connected to the strange events that happened today right?" His sister asked.

"Of course I do. And I have a bad feeling about this," Tom replied.

The two siblings knew that what was going to happen during the next few days would not be good. They gulped. All they could hope for was for this event to end soon. However, their wish would not be granted.


	8. Chapter 7

Professor David Ong was attending an emergency meeting held by the Prime Minister(PM) Mr Peter Loh. All the important ministers and scientists were discussing about the recent strange events. They were joined shortly by the Malaysian Prime Minster. PM Loh started to speak. "Dear ministers and scientists, you may have felt and heard about the recent abnomalies that are happening around the island. Yesterday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck in Bishan and is the largest earthquake in record in Singapore. This, together with a geyser like occurrence which left a girl in the ICU, has caused widespread panic among the population. Our counterparts in Malaysia said those in Johor also felt the earthquake. What we need now are answers. Professor Ong, do you have an answer to this?"

"With all due respects Prime minister, we have no answer as to the abnormalies. It's just too short a duration to get answers. We need more time to find out what exactly is happening," Professor Ong replied.

"Ok. What resources and how much time do you need to get answers?" PM Loh asked

"Firstly Prime minister, we need more seismographs and experts who have experience in these kind of events. In fact, we need geologists from the USGS to assist us," Professor Ong replied.

"Fine then. I'll get the USGS to send some of their geologists here. And you can also work with Malaysian geologists too. As for the seismometers and seismographs, we'll get them to you as soon as possible," PM Loh answered.


	9. Chapter 8

Back at the EOS, Professor David Ong went to the earthquake research centre. He asked Sam," any update?"

"Well, if you say bad news yes. Over the past 4 hours there have been 40 earthquakes of varying magnitudes. Mainly magnitudes 1 and 2 but a few magnitude 3s," Sam replied.

"And the locations?" Professor Ong asked.

"Mainly beneath Macritchie and Pierce reservoirs. About 20 earthquakes there. All magnitude 1s and 2s. 2 beneath Pulau Ubin, magnitude 2.6 and 2.3, 4 at the place where the geyser appeared yesterday, 12 at the Seletar reservoirs, 2 3.2s there, and 2 magnitude 2s at Bedok reservoir," Sam elaborated.

"This is not good. Most of the earthquakes are beneath reservoirs. That raises the possibility that magma is rising towards the surface," Professor Ong said in a serious tone.

"Professor you aren't seriously thinking that Singapore is a volcano are you?" Sam asked bewildered.

"But the recent events do raise eyebrows," Professor Ong replied.

"But Professor…," Sam was talking when the ground shook. Both of them lost their balance and fell as the alarm went off.

Both of them immediately checked the seismograph and the computer. The seismograph recorded another 4.8 magnitude earthquake while the computer alarm sounded. WARNING: 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck on November 23rd 2015. Location: 10km beneath Macritchie reservoir. Professor Ong and Sam looked at each other. The previous 4.8 magnitude earthquake caused a person's death. They wondered what damage it would cause this time.


	10. Chapter 9

Sean was with his family at Macritchie reservoir for canoeing. His kids had wanted to canoe for a long time coming but Sean was busy with his work. Now that he could take leave off to spend time with his family, he thought this would be the best time to bring his kids canoeing.

"Come on kids, you have to hurry in order to canoe," Sean said to his children

"Coming daddy," his son Alex said.

Sean reached the canoe renting place with his children and rented a 3-seater canoe. He could not wait to paddle around the reservoir with his children and show them the rich wildlife that inhabited the reservoir.

"Come on daddy," his daughter Hui Wen said.

Sean put the canoe on the water and helped his son and daughter into the canoe. He started paddling across the reservoir. He pointed at the animals and trees that lined around the coast of the reservoir.

Suddenly, the water around him started to ripple. Another earthquake, he thought. He didn't think much of it as he had gotten used to the shaking. However, he was just about to paddle when the water around him started to bubble. He was curious and stopped to take a look. The bubbles were getting bigger and within a split second, he and his children were thrown up nearly 60 feet into the air by a gush of boiling water. Water sprayed all over them. The three of them crashed hard on the water. His son and daughter were killed instantly by the crash. Sean lost consciousness and drowned.

People who were at the café rushed out to see the spectacular geyser that erupted from the water after the earthquake. However, all of them were in shock when they saw three bodies in the sky.

"Someone call 995," a passer-by said.

People frantically called 995 as they watched the family of three crash hard into the water. Everyone gasped. A few people wanted to go into the water to save the family of three but were stopped by other people who thought it to be too dangerous due to the boiling water that covered the area.

The ambulance soon arrived. Divers were called in to try to save the family of three. However, after the divers retrieved the bodies, the bodies were pronounced as dead.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

All around Singapore, the news about what had happened at Macritchie reservoir was being shown at all big screen televisions. People were shocked about the geyser that caused three deaths. They wondered what would happen when the next earthquake struck.

Professor David Ong heard the news and was pacing around the earthquake research centre, anxiously waiting for the next earthquake to happen. He wanted to know how big the next quake will be, and at which location.

He heard the alarm go off. WARNING: Magnitude 4.4 struck on 23rd November 2015 at 1630. Location and depth: 7km beneath Bukit Panjang shopping mall. Another alarm soon followed, then another and another. He watched as 5 earthquakes struck the island at different locations within a minute. It was a record for Singapore! Never before had an event like this happened. However, there was nothing he could do. He did not have the expertise, equipment or experience unlike the geologists at the USGS. To uncover this mystery, he needed the USGS geologists to arrive, and fast!


	12. Chapter 11

USGS Geologist Robby Hugh of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) and Steve Richardson of the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) arrived at Changi International Airport. They brought along a special guest from the Japan Metrological Agency. Her name was Yui Hisagawa. She specialised in studying earthquakes and interpreting them. The 3 of them were getting their luggage and equipment when they felt a tremor. It shook the ground but was over within about 15 seconds. The 3 of them knew this wasn't good so they quickly got all their belongings and equipment and called a taxi to go to the EOS where they were needed.

Nearly an hour later, they finally arrived at the EOS. They immediately asked for directions to the earthquake research centre. There they met Professor David Ong and his colleague Sam Wong. After a brief introduction the 5 of them got to work setting up the equipment and monitoring the seismograph.

For about 4 hours nothing happened. Professor David Ong and Sam were baffled. Normally there'd be at least 4-5 small earthquakes by now. This just did not make sense. Suddenly, the computer lit up and the alarm sounded. Earthquake instruments measured a magnitude 4.9. The computer showed: WARNING: Magnitude 4.9 struck on November 26th 2015. Location and depth: 5.5km beneath Resorts World Sentosa. Another earthquake struck. This time it measured a magnitude 3.5 and it struck Lower Pierce reservoir. A 3rd earthquake struck. It measured 4.5 and struck Upper Pierce reservoir. All three earthquakes struck within seconds from each other. Professor Ong and Sam were shocked while the USGS and Japanese geologists were surprised.

"Damm. What have we been missing out here?" Geologist Robby asked.

"Nothing much other than the few thousand earthquakes that have struck now," Sam said jokingly.

"This is a worrying sign. We must set up ground movement detectors all around the island before it's too late," Geologist Steve said

"Why not the 3 of you guys go while me and Sam will stay here and continue monitoring the situation?" Geologist Yui asked.

"Great idea. In that case, let's start going," Steve said.


	13. Chapter 12

Professor David Ong together with the USGS geologists reached Upper Pierce reservoir. The park was almost empty apart from a few joggers. As they approached the reservoir, they noticed bubbles rising to the surface. They also noticed a dead tree that was close to the water.

"That is definitely a sign of carbon dioxide poisoning," Geologist Robby said.

Meanwhile, Geologist Steve approached the water and gathered a few drops of water for sampling. He also placed down earthquake and ground sensors: whether the ground was rising or not. After he had finished, the three of them went to Lower Pierce reservoir. The scene there was different than at Upper Pierce. There were more people walking and fishing, oblivious to the threat that lay beneath their feet.

The 3 of them ignored the people and went to do their work. They placed earthquake and ground sensors at various locations around the park. They made sure they had activated the devices before heading back to the EOS. It was at that moment when the ground shook.

The shaking lasted for about 20 seconds and measured a 4.4 magnitude. Immediately after that, the water in the reservoir started to bubble vigorously. Suddenly, a gush of water shot up 100 feet into the air. Everyone that saw the spectacle were amazed. However, it was boiling water that was shooting up and it splashed onto the people who were fishing nearby. Screams were heard as people groaned in agony while they were being scalded by the water. It was chaos everywhere as people ran away from the reservoir as fast as they could. Another fountain of water erupted. Then another. And another. Soon there were 7 fountains of boiling water shooting 100 feet into the air.

"This is not good. We need to hurry and set up the equipment," Robby said. The 3 of them packed their stuff into their bags and hurried off to other reservoirs.


	14. Chapter 13

Parliament was abuzz as ministers discussed the seismic matter among themselves. PM Loh motioned Parliament to be seated and began to speak.

"I'd like to bring all your attention to Professor David Ong who will be speaking about the strange events that are happening recently."

Professor Ong began telling Parliament about the increasing seismic activity that was occurring and the ground uplifting that was happening at Macritchie reservoir. He told them of the significance of the events and that an evacuation of Singapore may be needed if there was concrete evidence of an upcoming eruption. That was when Geologist Robby came and interrupted.

"If, let's say if, there is concrete evidence that an eruption is coming, we not only need to evacuate Singapore, we may need to evacuate places such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Southern Thailand and maybe even Southern Philippines. In a worst case scenario, we may have to evacuate nearly three-quarters of Southeast Asia."

"How do you define a worst case scenario?" A minster asked.

"Well, since we do not have a history of eruptions in Singapore, we can't really define exactly what a worst case scenario is. But what we can do is compare Singapore with Yellowstone Supervolcano. During the last eruption at Yellowstone, pyroclastic flows extended through Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah. However, what we can do to predict a worst case scenario at Singapore is that we scan the whole island using new technology which measures how big a volcano's magma chamber is. That was we can measure the magma chamber beneath Singapore and come up with a possible worst case scenario," Geologist Robby replied.

"Send the new technology you have to Singapore at once!" PM Loh said.


	15. Chapter 14

The sounds of a plane engine could be heard as a cargo plane landed at Changi International Airport. In it carried the most advanced geologic and seismic equipment that the USGS had. The plane taxied to the gate and unloaded its cargo. The cargo was immediately sent to the EOS for immediate set-up.

At the EOS, Geologist Steve immediately began churning data from the equipment. He dispatched Geologist Yui Hisagawa, Sam and Robby to place the sensors all across the island for monitoring in case anything happened.

The task was arduous. Going around the whole entire island and setting up the sensors took the whole day. But at the end of the day, it was worth the hassle. The sensors began transmitting data back to the main database at the EOS. For the first time the 5 geologists could have a first-hand look at how big the magma chamber beneath Singapore was. What they saw drained the blood from their faces, especially for Professor Ong and Sam. The data showed that the magma chamber beneath Singapore was an astounding 70km from East to West and 40km from North to South. In essence, it covered the whole island and the southern part of Malaysia, i.e Johor. It was also 15km deep, deeper than Yellowstone Supervolcano. The data also depicted magma rising to the surface, and fast! It predicted an eruption within 40 days with the current amount of activity.

Just then, 3 earthquakes struck. The first measured a 4.2 at Kent Ridge Park. The second measured a 3.5 at Seletar reservoir. The third measured 4.8 at Changi International Airport. All three earthquakes were relatively shallow ones, ranging from 5-30km beneath the surface. The ground detection monitor sounded an alarm. The ground was rising at an alarming rate of 5cm a day at the Central Catchment Reserve (where the major reservoirs and nature reserves were), and 2cm for the rest of the island. They now had concrete evidence of an imminent eruption. It was time to start evacuating. NOW!


	16. Chapter 15

Tom was at home, surfing the net for news about the earthquakes and "geysers" that have been plaguing Singapore for a while now. It had been 2 months since the strange occurrences started, and it showed no sign of slowing down or dying off. There were many articles circulating across the net about the occurrences, most of them being first-hand experiences and thoughts about the occurrences. However, he came across an article by a scientist from the USGS talking about Singapore. He discussed about the reasons that Singapore was experiencing the strange occurrences and came to the conclusion that Singapore IS a Supervolcano and it is going to erupt soon.

Tom started to panic. "Impossible. No this can't be," he said. He could not bring himself to the conclusion that his country of over 5 million people was about to erupt with devastating consequences. There has to be a mistake, Tom thought to himself. Surely Singapore can't be a volcano? What would this mean if say Singapore was a Supervolcano? If there was an evacuation of the island, where could people go to? And what would happen to the neighbouring countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand? Would they also be affected by the eruption? Thoughts flooded Tom's head as he tried to search for answers. He took a look at the geologist's name. Doctor Robby Hugh of the USGS. And he said that he was reporting from Singapore. Tom did not hesitate. He ran out of his house to look for this geologist at once, ignoring his sister's shouts at him.


	17. Chapter 16

Tom approached the EOS nervously. He had no idea what he was going to say to the receptionist at the desk to allow him to see Dr Robby Hugh of the USGS. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Here we go, he thought. He walked nervously through the automatic door. He stopped at the receptionist and told her what he was here for. The receptionist looked at him as though he was crazy and said that all visits to the geologists working there needed to have appointments before people could see them. Tom pleaded to the receptionist but to no avail. Just as he was about to walk away, Dr Robby Hugh walked through the door with Sam, back from a routine check of sensors and detectors across the island.

"What's all the commotion here Laura? And what is this boy doing here?" Sam asked.

"I'm here to meet Dr Robby Hugh. I've got some questions to ask him," Tom said.

"Is that so? Fine then come on up and we can have a talk the office," Dr Robby said to Tom with a smile.

The three of them went up to Dr Robby's temporary office. Dr Robby poured some coffee for the three of them and started talking.

"So then, what does a young man like you want to ask me?" Dr Robby asked jokingly.

"I want to clarify on an article which you wrote recently," Tom said.

Dr Robby's smile disappeared, His expression became more serious. He looked at Sam and nodded. It was time to tell the public about this.

"What's your name young man?" Dr Robby asked.

"Tom sir," Tom replied

"Well then Tom, what you read in the article is true. Everything is true. Singapore IS going to erupt, and it is going to erupt soon," Dr Robby explained.

"Impossible. We're not located near any fault lines or tectonic plates," Tom protested.

"Come. Let me show you something son," Dr Robby said in a gentle yet serious tone.

He and Sam brought Tom to the earthquake research centre where Geologist Steve, Yui and Professor Ong were currently monitoring the situation. Tom saw all the seismograms and complicated data on the computer and his head whirled in confusion.

"Guys, this is Tom. He is a student and is interested in the current situation. Hence I brought him here to let him have a look at what's happening now," Dr Robby introduced Tom to his colleagues. He then proceeded to show Tom all the monitors, computers and sensors.

"My boy, if you're wondering what is going on, this is what is going on," Dr Robby told Tom as Tom looked around the room baffled by all the high-tech equipment.

Professor Ong stood up and went to Tom. He said in a serious tone," Tom, what you're looking at right now is very important. As you can see, there has been thousands of earthquakes that have struck Singapore over the past month or so. Plus, there has recently been uplift of the ground around the reservoirs and some parts of the island. Do you know what this means?"

"Yes. Singapore is going to erupt isn't it?" Tom asked.

"Unfortunately my boy, yes. Singapore is going to erupt. We don't know when, but we know that there's not much time left before she erupts. Maybe at best a month or so? Worse case is only a few weeks. A few weeks to evacuate more than a quarter of a billion people in South-East Asia," Professor Ong said with a sigh.

"What can I do then?" Tom asked.

"Tell your friends and family. Tell as many people as you can as to what is going to happen. Warn them that they have to evacuate now. YOU have to evacuate now Tom," Professor Ong warned.

"But what about you?" Tom asked again.

"We'll stay here until the eruption or just before the eruption to monitor the progress of events. Now go and warn anyone that you know," Dr Robby replied.

Tom looked around the room for a few more seconds. Then, he left the room and hurried back to his home.


	18. Chapter 17

Tom arrived back at his home at night. His parents and sister were watching the tv. When his mother saw him, she asked, "Tom, where have you been? I couldn't contact you."

"Sorry mum, something cropped up which I had to attend to," Tom replied

"Anyways, Tom, come sit with us. The news is showing a special program now," his father said.

The tv was showing a documentary of Yellowstone volcano. It talked about the signs of an eruption and what would occur if an eruption happened. The effects will be devastating. Nearly two-thirds of the United States would be deemed to be uninhabitable to live in and temperatures will plummet about 20 degrees Celsius worldwide. The documentary ended and the news anchor started to speak.

"As the documentary has shown, a Supervolcano eruption will devastate the world in ways cannot imagined. Unfortunately, although the Yellowstone Supervolcano is in no imminent danger of erupting, another Supervolcano is waiting to blow just half a world away, down here in Singapore. Experts and ASEAN leaders have predicted what might happen if Singapore were to erupt. And the effects will be devastating beyond measure.

Experts and ASEAN leaders have predicted that in a worst case scenario, the volcano will erupt and wipe off Singapore from the map. Not just that, the pyroclastic flow from the eruption may reach as far as Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, possibly killing more than a quarter of a billion people, and many more injured. Hospitals will not be able to cope with the number of injured as thousands pour into hospitals, burnt by the pyroclastic flows or suffocated by choking ash produced. Millions more will be left without electricity and may not have food, water and shelter in the immediate aftermath of this colossus disaster. This massive eruption will be considered as the worst disaster in human history.

Hence, the governments of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines have ordered all their citizens to begin immediate evacuation from the danger zone. This danger zone includes the whole island and islands of Singapore, the whole of Malaysia which includes Sabah and Sarawak, everything west of Jakarta plus the Kalimantan region, Indonesia, southern and central Thailand till Bangkok, and the southern Philippine islands of Minanao. The yellow zone will include Northern Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, East Timor and the Philippine islands of Leyte. People living in those areas are advised to either evacuate or stockpile at least 10 days' worth of food and water.

Thank you for watching this program. Stay safe and may God bless us all," the newswoman said. The broadcast then ended and the normal daily news resumed.

"We need to leave, now. Pack all necessities. We are leaving for New Zealand to join your cousins and uncle living there", Tom's father said.

Tom's mom looked down at the floor, visibly sad. Tom and his sister just nodded and started to pack their stuff. Meanwhile, Tom's father went to book a flight to New Zealand. All around, noises could be heard as neighbours started packing their valuables and necessities too, preparing to leave Singapore.

Tom could not believe his eyes. For the first time, he was leaving his home country, and he did not know whether it will be permanent or not. The thought of it scared him. He started packing to keep his mind out of that thought.


	19. Chapter 18

All around Singapore, people were quickly booking air tickets to fly out of the country, to escape from the inevitable. Websites were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people booking air tickets, and at Changi International Airport, security and custom officers struggled to contain the crowds as people frantically tried to check-in and enter the departure hall. It was utter chaos there. Meanwhile, the scene at the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints, which were checkpoints to enter Johor, Malaysia, were no different. Traffic could not move as thousands of cars were trying to enter Malaysia, trying to evacuate from Singapore. Expressways, roads, streets, everywhere was jammed by people trying to get out of Singapore.

The government tried to calm things down by asking citizens to remain calm and evacuate in an orderly manner, but with minimal effect. Shopping malls, schools, houses, restaurants, all were empty. The train system broke down as there were too many people trying to reach the airport or the cruise terminal via train. It resulted in commuters having to wait for hours in the trains without air conditioning and packed like sardines before the train system became operational again. People suffocated, vomited and some even fainted due to the cramped and poorly-ventilated condition in the trains. Soon, Singapore stopped to function as a country.

In Malaysia and Indonesia, the situation was worse as they did not have adequate infrastructure in place to cope with a sudden mass evacuation. Riots erupted all across Malaysia and Indonesia as people scrambled to get food, water and medicine. Riot police were called in to disperse the crowds and thousands of people were arrested. Their governments declared martial law while the evacuation was underway, and this managed to loosen the tense situation for the time being.


	20. Chapter 19

At the EoS, Professor Ong and his colleagues were anxiously monitoring the situation, which was far from perfect. The reservoirs had risen by nearly 1 foot, and the rest of Singapore had risen by around 20cm. New geyser activity was also popping out all over the islands of Singapore, and Singapore itself. Earthquake activity was also increasing, with more than 500 earthquakes happening every day, and they were slowly becoming shallower. The geologists discussed among themselves how long they had left before the eruption happened, and they all agreed they had less than 1 month left at most, maybe less if the activity became worse.

They decided to shift their equipment underground in case the eruption occurred without warning, as so do many other volcanoes. Once they had finished shifting, they got back to monitoring. Just then, the alarm sounded and a 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck about 5 km from Changi International Airport.

Meanwhile, Tom and his family were heading towards the airport but they were faced with a tremendous jam on the Pan-island Expressway as thousands of people were heading there was well. Tom called John to ask where he was and John said he was at the airport, but that they airport was so crowded he had barely enough room to move. Tom's dad checked the distance left to reach the airport. "About 5 kilometres more, but damm this will take forever with the pace this jam is going" he uttered.

Suddenly, a gush of steam and water erupted from a nearby canal, making a huge boom and creating a mass panic. People started getting out of their vehicles and began running towards the airport. Ironically, the expressway soon became almost devoid of people. Tom's mum huddled with his Dad, obviously frightened, while his Dad comforted her.

"Well, shall we walk then?" Tom's Dad asked. The rest of his family nodded. They got off the taxi and began talking towards the airport with their luggage in tow.


End file.
